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NEW DELHI: Passengers on a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Brussels had a major scare on August 8 when the aircraft abruptly plunged more than 5,000 feet over Turkish airspace. The Jet Airways Boeing 777-300 ER (Extended Range) operating as flight 9W 228 was flying at an altitude of 34,000 feet when it suddenly dropped, according to the digital flight data recorder.

"This is a matter of serious concern and the pilots involved in the incident have been grounded from Wednesday. We will form a team to inquire into the matter and also the training facilities of the airline," said a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The initial inquiry was conducted by the DGCA today after joint director general Lalit Gupta received an anonymous complaint about the incident. It found that the commander of the flight was taking rest, which is allowed under the rules.

The co-pilot who was in charge of the aircraft while the commander rested told the DGCA that she did not know why the incident occurred. "In the initial inquiry, the copilot said that she was not aware of the reasons for descent and she was reading the flight manuals.

This requires thorough investigation and only then will we be able to ascertain the reasons," said the DGCA official. The Ankara air traffic control observed the rapid descent of the aircraft and asked the crew to take the plane back to the designated altitude. The co-pilot woke up the commander, who took the flight back to 34,000 feet, the DGCA official said. Jet Airways confirmed the incident and said it has started an inquiry.

"Jet Airways has initiated an internal inquiry into the matter. The airline is also extending all cooperation in the matter to the DGCA by providing all necessary assistance for the inquiry. Safety is of paramount importance to Jet Airways, as is also the welfare of our guests and crew and the airline will always take appropriate steps to ensure the same," the airline said in an email response.